Bad decisions
by spobyisperf
Summary: When Toby leaves Spencer, and Rosewood, because he believes she is cheating on him with Wren, the girls are stuck picking up the pieces of her broken heart. But what happens when Emily's wedding draws him back? Will he have moved on? Will Spencer forgive him? (Slightly AU, and doesn't include anything from season four)
1. Chapter 1

**This is set seven years after season three, so the girls are all about twenty-four, and Maya isn't dead. Hanna and Caleb are together and Aria and Ezra are too. Mona was never A, but the rest of the plot follows season three. (I haven't seen season four yet *loud sob* but I **_**really**_** want to.) Anyways, enjoy!**

It had been four years. Four years of being away from him. Four years of never being able to hear his laugh, or see his dazzling smile, or touch his face, or see his startling blue eyes. Four years since I heard sweet kind words that always came from his mouth. Instead, all I had was the last words he said to me before I never saw him again.

'_Spencer, I know how I feel about you, but I've come to the realization that as long as you've been hiding secrets from everyone else around you, how do I know you aren't doing the same now?' he asked. I just gaped at him._

'_And I didn't come to this conclusion on my own,' he said as he pulled his phone out. He tapped a few times and practically shoved the phone in my face. There staring me in the face was a picture of me and Wren kissing. But that was a really old picture! That was back from when I had been heart-broken from Toby being on the A team! That was from three years ago!_

'_Who- who sent this to you?' I asked, although I wished I could say what I was really thinking, the question just popped out of my mouth, making it sound like I was confirming that this was me and Wren recently, in an affair behind Toby's back. He scowled a bit, and said,_

'_So it's true then? I should've known this would happen. I'm not good enough right? What your parents have been feeding you for years has finally become true in your mind? Fine. And I've made a decision that this is it. Maybe we just weren't meant to be Spencer. I'm leaving for California tonight, and I won't be back for a long time. I hope you're happy with Wren. Goodbye.'_

After this I remember asking Hanna to come over, sobbing over the phone that Toby had broken up with me and he was leaving that night. Hanna had shown up with Aria and Emily and they all brought movies and ice cream. I slowly started to move on over the years, but only a bit. The most of me still aches for him, all of him although I don't like to admit it, but there was that one part of me that wasn't pining for something that was never coming back. It's called my brain, and sometimes I almost wanted to curse my upbringing for always putting logic over love, and I almost always denied I was still in love with him, although not even very deep down I knew I was. But of course when Emily told me she and Maya were getting married in four months; although I was happy for them, of course I was bound to have to find some date with a guy who really only was there to see if he could get sex out of me, which would never happen. She would most likely invite toby, and what if he had moved on? What if I had to face him again and he was with his girlfriend, or maybe even wife! Maybe she could get a date with Wren just to make him super jealous. But the biggest news of all came when of course she asked me to be her maid of honor, because Aria and Hanna wouldn't have the time, or planning skills, to do it. Plus they were already doing big things for the wedding, Aria was doing photography and Hanna was designing the wedding dress, so I was stuck planning, which would definitely require a date now. As I walked into her and Maya's apartment to get her opinions on some flowers and tableclothes, I could hear her in the living room trying to do something before I could walk in, but I just ignored it.

"Hey Em, I was thinking that maybe we could do purple tablecloths and white lilies, or does that sound too," I said walking into her living room, when I was jolted out of my planning as I saw a figure sitting on her couch, a figure I had been trying to forget for four years.

"Toby," I said stiffly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's chapter two guys, hope you enjoy it. Please review, I'd like to know how I'm doing with this. Criticism is always welcome, just don't destroy my feelings or story please. Thanks!**

"Hey Em, I was thinking that maybe we could do purple tablecloths and white lilies, or does that sound too," I said walking into her living room, when I was jolted out of my planning as I saw a figure sitting on her couch, a figure I had been trying to forget for four years.

"Toby," I said stiffly, so stiffly that even I could tell how much I wanted to punch him right then and there for breaking my heart into a million pieces. He turned to face me at the sound of my voice saying his name, but Emily was nowhere to be seen.

"Spencer," he greeted. "What are you doing here?" The tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

"I'm planning the wedding, I'm her maid of honor," I replied. He raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Was she yours?" he asked. I knitted my eyebrows in confusion.

"You know, was she your maid of honor at your wedding?" I shook my head, not understanding what he was insinuating, and then it finally dawned on me. Wren. He was talking about why he broke up with me. I glared at him.

"If you had tried to listen to me that night, you would've known that I was never with Wren. But what about you? Wife? Girlfriend? Let's catch up," I said, sitting down. He shook his head.

"No neither. Never had the time for anyone special in my life. How about you? If you aren't with Wren, do you have anybody? Boyfriend? I don't think husband or fiancée, no ring. But seriously, do you?" he asked, sounding actually concerned.

"No, the only free time I have has been spent studying or for now helping plan the wedding. But how's California?" I asked, a little less upset because he didn't have a girlfriend. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and scratched the back of his neck.

"Well you see… ummm… I've been in Philly for three years," he said. I swear my eyes bugged out of my head. Philly? That where I lived! He must've noticed my eyes widening because he asked if I was okay.

"Yeah, um it's just, I live in Philly too. I'm surprised we've never seen each other, considering how much I just roam around Philly a lot," I replied. When I thought about it, I thought I had seen his face in the crowds a couple of times, but I had always told myself it was my imagination. Was it though? Now I know that I might've actually seen him. As I opened my mouth to speak again, Emily came rushing in the door, hands full of shopping bags.

"Hey Toby, I don't want you here when Spencer gets here, it might still be a little awkward when," she stopped short when she saw us sitting there. She put the shopping bags down, and looked at us both.

"So, you two been talking long?" she asked after a long awkward pause.

"No, we just got to asking about relationships and I asked how California was, only to find out," and I directed this specifically at Emily, "_he's been in Philly for __**three years**__._ Care to explain Em?" I asked. She blushed and said,

"Yeah I've known since right before he moved. I- I didn't want to tell either of you the other lived in Philly, until I visited where Toby was going to move in. Spencer, remember when I told you I was across the street from your building because I was looking at apartments for me and Maya? Well, I was looking at Toby's building, because Maya and I had already found this place. I can't believe neither one of you saw each other before, you've lived across the street from each other for three years." I stood up, furious with Emily.

"_Emily. Come with me right now. We need to talk_," I hissed, and she obeyed. I walked into her bedroom, and whipped around to face her.

"_Three years?!_" I practically screamed. "Three years of watching me bawl my eyes out over a boy that was right across the street?! I could've walked over and explained things to him! How I didn't cheat on him, and that kiss was from three years ago, when I had been heartbroken by Toby being on the A team! I could've explained things! But no. You had to keep this a secret didn't you?" I threw my planning books on her bed. "Get one of the other girls to plan your wedding. I don't want to deal with you right now. I'll see you later Emily." And with that I walked downstairs, just to run smack into Toby.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked, with obvious concern in his eyes. God, I just wanted him to hold me like he used to. That would always make me feel better and- damn it! Damn him and his concern! I was losing my thoughts again! I wasn't allowed to be with him anymore! He looked at me as I tried to push past him.

"You know I'm the one walking Emily up the aisle right?" he asked. Well, I didn't but it made sense. Emily's dad had been killed in some freak accident down in Texas, and we all knew her mom never supported Emily and Maya together very much, but a mother can't miss her daughter's wedding day.

"No, and I really can't be here anymore, so can you let me past please?" I asked, still struggling to get past him.

"I could hear you from down here; you were shaking the whole house. Did you mean what you said earlier about not cheating on me with Wren?" he asked, his ocean blue eyes a really soft blue, the blue I had missed so much. I stopped struggling, and looked him over for the first time in four years. He had kind of baggy clothes on, and there were huge bags under his eyes that I hadn't noticed earlier, but as for other physique, his arms looked more muscular than I remembered, and his face had definitely thinned out, which made it that much more handsome. God, I really wanted to kiss him so much, and it was then I noticed we were only about an inch apart. Coming to my senses, I pulled back, and said, slightly flustered,

"Yes of course I did. You thought I would actually cheat on you? That picture was from seven years ago, when you and I had broken up because you were on the A team. I wanted to explain, but you were so mad. Um, actually, can we talk about this over coffee or something? I'd much rather go somewhere else. Do you want to?" He smiled.

"Let's go then. Miss Hastings, your chariot awaits," he said and held out his arm goofily. I laughed. It felt as though the four previous years had never existed. It felt good, comfortable, safe. _It feels like home_, I think.


End file.
